UNROLL
Evening in the hill country of Judah: in the lower third, a small village of roofless, tumbled stone houses on a terraced slope, an old olive tree growing through a broken wall, while returned families with laden donkeys arrive up the stony path, a father pointing to one ruined house and a child running ahead; above, a calm, empty evening sky.

The Book of

Ezra 2

Every family named, every number kept: the people who came home, each to his own town.

70 verses≈ 6 min2 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–2The returnCyrus lets them go upChapter 2
  2. 3The altarFoundations laid
  3. 4OppositionThe work stopped
  4. 5–6The templeFinished and dedicated
  5. 7–8Ezra comesThe good hand of God
  6. 9–10RepentanceFaithless marriages confessed

The List of Returning Exiles

Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,

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accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah

Families

Families by name

  1. The count

    The men of Israel

    This is the count of the men of Israel:

  2. Parosh: 2,172

    the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

  3. Shephatiah: 372

    the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

  4. Arah: 775

    the descendants of Arah, 775;

  5. Jeshua and Joab

    Pahath-moab: 2,812

    the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812;

  6. Elam: 1,254

    the descendants of Elam, 1,254;

  7. Zattu: 945

    the descendants of Zattu, 945;

  8. Zaccai: 760

    the descendants of Zaccai, 760;

  9. Or Binnui

    Bani: 642

    the descendants of Bani, 642;

  10. Bebai: 623

    the descendants of Bebai, 623;

  11. Azgad: 1,222

    the descendants of Azgad, 1,222;

  12. Adonikam: 666

    the descendants of Adonikam, 666;

Morning in a camp of returned families on a stony slope below ruined Jerusalem: a gray-bearded family head stands before a seated Levite with his whole household behind him, sons, their wives and children and a donkey; the Levite holds a plain clay tablet edge-on, and other households wait their turn.

Families

Families by name, continued

  1. Bigvai: 2,056

    the descendants of Bigvai, 2,056;

  2. Adin: 454

    the descendants of Adin, 454;

  3. Through Hezekiah

    Ater: 98

    the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;

  4. Bezai: 323

    the descendants of Bezai, 323;

  5. Or Hariph

    Jorah: 112

    the descendants of Jorah, 112;

  6. Hashum: 223

    the descendants of Hashum, 223;

  7. Or Gibeon

    Gibbar: 95

    the descendants of Gibbar, 95;

Towns

Men of the towns

  1. Bethlehem: 123

    the men of Bethlehem, 123;

  2. Netophah: 56

    the men of Netophah, 56;

  3. Anathoth: 128

    the men of Anathoth, 128;

  4. Or Beth-azmaveth

    Azmaveth: 42

    the descendants of Azmaveth, 42;

  5. Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, Beeroth: 743

    the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

  6. Ramah and Geba: 621

    the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

  7. Michmash: 122

    the men of Michmash, 122;

  8. Bethel and Ai: 223

    the men of Bethel and Ai, 223;

JerusalemBethlehemKiriath-jearimRamahMichmashBethelJerichoLodOno

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

Their own towns

Most of the towns lay close around Jerusalem, in the old lands of Judah and Benjamin: Netophah near Bethlehem; Anathoth and Azmaveth just north of Jerusalem; Chephirah and Beeroth by Kiriath-jearim; Geba beside Michmash; Ai beside Bethel; Hadid near Lod and Ono on the coastal plain; and Jericho in the Jordan valley. Where Nebo and Magbish lay is not known.

Towns and families

Towns and families

  1. Nebo: 52

    the descendants of Nebo, 52;

  2. Magbish: 156

    the descendants of Magbish, 156;

  3. Or West Elam

    The other Elam: 1,254

    the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;

  4. Harim: 320

    the descendants of Harim, 320;

  5. Lod, Hadid and Ono: 725

    the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725;

  6. Jericho: 345

    the men of Jericho, 345;

  7. Senaah: 3,630

    and the descendants of Senaah, 3,630.

Reflect

Known by name

This list kept every family, and the number in each. Someone wrote down Adin’s 454 and Gibbar’s 95. What does it mean to you that God’s people were counted one household at a time? Write the names of the people in your own household, and pray for each one by name.

Who came home

Families andtowns2:3–35 · 24,144 menPriests2:36–39 · 4,289Levites andsingers2:40–41 · 74 and 128Gatekeepers2:42 · 139Temple servants2:43–58 · 392 withSolomon’sNo records2:59–63 · 652; priestswaitThe wholeassembly2:64 · 42,360

Whiteboard

The list runs like the order of God’s house: the people by family and town, then those who served at the house of God, then those who could not prove their line. Every group was counted, and then all of them together: “The whole assembly numbered 42,360.”

Temple servants

The temple servants

  1. The Nethinim

    Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth

    The temple servants:

    the descendants of Ziha,

    the descendants of Hasupha,

    the descendants of Tabbaoth,

  2. Or Sia

    Keros, Siaha, Padon

    the descendants of Keros,

    the descendants of Siaha,

    the descendants of Padon,

  3. Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub

    the descendants of Lebanah,

    the descendants of Hagabah,

    the descendants of Akkub,

  4. Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan

    the descendants of Hagab,

    the descendants of Shalmai,

    the descendants of Hanan,

  5. Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah

    the descendants of Giddel,

    the descendants of Gahar,

    the descendants of Reaiah,

  6. Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam

    the descendants of Rezin,

    the descendants of Nekoda,

    the descendants of Gazzam,

  7. Uzza, Paseah, Besai

    the descendants of Uzza,

    the descendants of Paseah,

    the descendants of Besai,

  8. Or Nephushesim

    Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim

    the descendants of Asnah,

    the descendants of Meunim,

    the descendants of Nephusim,

  9. Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur

    the descendants of Bakbuk,

    the descendants of Hakupha,

    the descendants of Harhur,

  10. Or Bazlith

    Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha

    the descendants of Bazluth,

    the descendants of Mehida,

    the descendants of Harsha,

  11. Barkos, Sisera, Temah

    the descendants of Barkos,

    the descendants of Sisera,

    the descendants of Temah,

  12. Neziah and Hatipha

    the descendants of Neziah,

    and the descendants of Hatipha.

Solomon’s servants

The sons of Solomon’s servants

  1. Or Perida

    Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda

    The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

    the descendants of Sotai,

    the descendants of Hassophereth,

    the descendants of Peruda,

  2. Jaala, Darkon, Giddel

    the descendants of Jaala,

    the descendants of Darkon,

    the descendants of Giddel,

  3. Or Amon

    Four families, Shephatiah to Ami

    the descendants of Shephatiah,

    the descendants of Hattil,

    the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim,

    and the descendants of Ami.

  4. With temple servants

    392 in all

    The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all.

The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

the descendants of Delaiah,

the descendants of Tobiah,

and the descendants of Nekoda,

652 in all.

And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah,

the descendants of Hakkoz,

and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).

These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.

Pray

He knows His own

Some came all the way home and still “could not prove that their families were descended from Israel,” and three priestly families had to wait. Pray for anyone who feels on the edge of God’s people, unsure they belong. Thank God that He knows His own and keeps their names.

Dawn on the desert road where it turns south toward the hills of Judah: a very long column of returned families stretches back across a wide plain to the horizon, with laden donkeys, mules, a few horses and a string of camels in the middle distance, two women with frame drums walking together.

The whole assembly numbered 42,360, in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

0:20

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Offerings by the Exiles

When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site. According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly garments.

some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site

Ezra 2:68

So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, along with some of the people, settled in their own towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.

Question

Quick question

The list ends with a count of everyone who came home together.

How many people did the whole assembly number?

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Ezra 2

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A verse to carry with you

When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site.

Ezra 2:68

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